


Don't Be Stingy! - a Bloodletting dj

by SharkGirl



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Bloodletting AU, Contains Bloodletting Spoilers, Kitsune!Kise, M/M, Prequel, Priest!Midorima, Shapeshifting, Side Story, Supernatural Elements, Tanuki!Takao, Youkai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 07:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6694519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takao is the tanuki who lives at the Midorima family's shrine.</p><p>This is a prequel and side story for indevan's work entitled <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/6151162/chapters/14093548">Bloodletting</a>, but it can be read as a stand alone fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Be Stingy! - a Bloodletting dj

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indevan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indevan/gifts).



> If you haven't yet, please enjoy indevan's KnB fic, [Bloodletting](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6151162/chapters/14093548)
> 
> This story contains spoilers for Bloodletting. FYI.
> 
> Congrats on your new job, indevan!! XD

How long had he been living on the sacred grounds of the temple on the hill?  Three hundred years?  Four hundred?

He was there when it was built, so much smaller back then than it was now.  One room, partially closed in.  It let in the wind and the rain and the snow in the winter.  Then the temple was expanded and a house was built.  That’s when the Midorimas moved in.

A priest with his wife and their baby.

Takao liked babies and children, so he watched over him.  He stayed in his tanuki form to entertain him, doing back flips or juggling acorns and berries before tossing them into the air and catching them in his mouth.

When the child was older, the tanuki took the form of a little boy to play with him.

The child’s parents were always mindful of the tanuki, never taking their eyes off of him when he played with their son.

They respected him, of course, but, more than that, they feared him.

Tanuki were tricksters.  Not to be trusted.

But the boy played with him every day and never once judged him.

As the boy grew older, he began to spend less time with the tanuki, but he still remained his friend.

That was, until the summer of the boy’s sixteenth year.

“I thought you were supposed to bring good fortune!” he’d shouted at him, holding a broken doll in his hands.  “This was a present for the neighbor’s daughter.”

“I’m sorry, Midorima-san.” It had been years since the boy had let him call him by his given name.  “But you left the window open and I was not-”

“Why did I bother with you?”  The boy shook his head. “Waste of my time.”

The tanuki froze, icy fingers gripping at his heart.

Weren’t they friends?

“I told you not to play with that thing.” The boy’s mother said from the other room.  The tanuki’s sharp eyes caught her shaking her head. “You should know to leave them well enough alone.”

“Honey, please,” the priest begged. “They used to be gods in these parts.”

“Well, they aren’t anymore, are they?”

It had been ages since anyone had worshiped the tanuki as gods, their title having been stripped away after the arrival of Buddhism in Japan.  But divinity or no, he thought the Midorimas’ son had cared for him.

Was he really nothing to him? Just a charm meant to bring him luck?

He spent the next sixty years away from the family, watching from his perch in a nearby tree.  He left to eat and play around in the town across the river, but he didn’t set foot in their home.  Not when the boy grew up and got married to the neighbor girl.  Not when their children were born.  Not even when the boy, old and gray, lay on his deathbed, surrounded by crying family members.

Human lives were short.

Humans were not kind.

He was meant to trick them and so he did.

The tanuki’s pranks were mostly harmless, luring men to bed with him in the form of a beautiful young woman, making travelers lose their way, and the pockets of guests become empty as they entered the grounds, their coins reappearing in the shrine’s _Saisenbako_.

He served the Midorima family well.

With the money he'd brought them, they began to appreciate him again.  Still, he wouldn’t approach them.

That is, until _he_ showed up.

A beautiful young boy with emerald eyes and vibrant green hair, so fitting of the Midorima name.  He learned from watching him interact with his parents – the sixth generation – that his name was Shintarou.

He appeared cold at first, but the tanuki knew differently.  He’d seen him rescue a baby bird that had fallen from its nest.  And he’d seen him stop a turtle from walking into the road.

He was a kind boy.

But the tanuki couldn't trust him.  Humans used you.  This boy would do the same.

It was a typical summer day.  The tanuki was resting in his tree, arms pillowed behind his head as he lay on his favorite limb.  He was in his usual form, not feeling the need to appear human.  The priest and his family knew what he was and, with their obvious attempts at pretending he wasn’t there most of the time, he felt no shame.  The sun was warm against his fur and he sighed contentedly, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes.

But then he heard it.  The sound of a branch breaking and a child’s cry, followed by a loud splash.

The tanuki sat up and looked around, his sharp eyes scanning the area.  Then he spotted a familiar head of green hair.  The river had long-since dried up, but there was a fountain with a large pool on the eastern end of the grounds.

Shintarou had fallen in.

He moved quickly, shifting into a human as he sprinted.  He dove into the pool and grabbed the boy around the middle, pulling him out of the pool and dragging him onto the grass.

He was heavy.

Of course, he was probably nine or ten now.

Human lives passed by so quickly.

“Are you okay?” the tanuki asked, surprised at the sound of his natural voice.  It hadn’t been used in so long.

Shintarou coughed and sat up, nearly falling over.

“Hold on there.” He righted him and pat his back.

“Thank you,” the boy said.

“Hey, it’s fine.” The tanuki pushed his wet, inky bangs out of his face.  “What were you doing jumping into the fountain anyway?”

“A little girl dropped her hat.” He pointed to the red bonnet floating several feet away. “So, I climbed on that low branch to get it for her.”

The tanuki peered up at the broken branch.  It had clearly given under his weight.

The one thing missing was the little girl.

“Where did she go?”

“Oh, she was right-” but Shintarou paused, emerald eyes searching the grounds.  “She’s gone.”

The tanuki spotted a fox out of the corner of his eye.  Its head was down and its tail was between its legs.  It took one look at him and then scampered off.

“That’s right. You better feel bad.” He said, knowing the kitsune couldn’t hear him.

“What?” the boy asked and the tanuki shook his head.

“Nothing.” He mussed his hair. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Shintarou sighed. “I’m sorry I got you wet.”

“It’s a sunny day.” The tanuki stood up and stretched. “I’m sure I’ll dry off in no time.”

“You should at least come in for a bath,” the boy insisted.

“Do I smell that bad?” He chuckled.

“Honestly?” Shintarou adjusted his glasses. “Yes.”

Ouch.

“Okay.” The tanuki felt himself smile. “I’ll accept your hospitality.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Shintarou said as he stood up and brushed a few leaves from his bottom.  “It’s your land, after all.”

“My…”

“You’re our guardian god, are you not?” He blinked and then frowned slightly.

“I…” He was at a loss.

Is that what his parents had taught him?  Or had the boy come up with it all on his own?  And how did he know he wasn’t human?

“What shall I call you?” Shintarou continued, obviously not expecting an answer.

Well, that was a good question.  He’d never been referred to as anything other than ‘That Tanuki.’  Though, some of those who he’d tricked had called him ‘Darling.’ He snickered at that.

“Well?” The boy was getting impatient.

“You can call me whatever you wish.”

“Then, let’s go inside,” he paused, looking up at him over the frames of his glasses, “Takao.”

“Takao?”

“That’s what I call you.” Shintarou’s ears turned pink. “Because you have a tail and you’re always up high in that tree of yours.”

He’d seen him?

“You’ve been watching me?”

“Keeping my eye on our guardian,” Shintarou corrected. “It’s my duty as the future priest of this shrine to maintain the grounds and-”

“I get it.” He, no, Takao smiled.  “So, shall we go in for that bath?” He bit his lip. “Shin-chan?”

“Shin…chan?” The boy’s eyes widened. “Takao, that’s-”

“It’s only fair.” The tanuki wagged a finger in his face. “A name for a name.”

Shintarou let out an annoyed huff and then conceded.

“Fine.”

Takao couldn’t hide his grin.  This boy seemed different.  Takao shifted into the form of a young child, about Shintarou’s age.  He wasn’t sure if his parents would recognize him as their tanuki, but, either way, it didn’t look good to have a grown man following a nine-year-old into the bath.

“You know,” Takao said as they walked inside. “That was pretty unlucky, you falling out of that tree.” Shintarou grumbled in response. “Have you ever heard of carrying around lucky items?”

The years passed by like that, Takao steadily aging his human form up as Shintarou got older.

When word got out that the recently anti-social tanuki had befriended a human, youkai from all over started to visit the temple.  Though, they were only allowed on the grounds during the festival held once a year.

“Shin-chan is really cute.”

“He is,” Takao replied. “But don’t call him Shin-chan.”

“But you do, Takaocchi.”

“Because I saved his life,” he said.

“Thanks to me!”

“Want me to tell him it was your fault he almost drowned?” He glared at the kitsune and Kise bit his lips, eyes pleading.

“If you do that, Akashicchi will get mad at me again.”

“Which one?” He snorted.

“Takao, will you _please_ tell your _friend_ to leave?” Midorima walked over, dressed in his ‘official priest-ing garb,’ as Takao called it.  It suited the twenty-year-old.

“Aww, Shin-chan.” Takao crooned. “You know, Kise is _your_ friend, too.”

The taller man harrumphed and the tanuki laughed again.

“Okay, okay.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Midorimacchi.” The blond bowed and then shifted into his fox form.  He yipped once and scurried off.

“We’re overrun.” Midorima sighed and began cleaning up the cups and empty bottles of sake.

“It’s not like they invade our home.”

“ _My_ home.”

Takao smirked.

“But that’s _our_ room, isn’t it?” he teased.

Midorima had started letting Takao sleep in his room on colder nights.  But then the winter nights changed into spring and the days changed into years.  Now, over a decade since the infamous Fountain Incident, Takao had a place beside the green-haired man in his bed.

Though, they hadn’t yet…consummated their relationship.

Speaking of…

“Your parents are out tonight, right?” Takao wrapped his arms around Midorima’s neck and nearly pulled him to the ground.  “And Maki-chan is staying over at a friend’s…”

“What are you asking me, Takao?” Midorima stood up and walked back through the gate, the dirty dishes in hand.

“I’m asking if you want to take advantage of our alone time.” Takao followed after him, silvery, black-rimmed eyes slipping into slits.  “It’s not often we have the place to ourselves.”

“Takao.”

“What?” He pouted, materializing his round ears and floppy tail.  “Don’t you want me, Shin-chan?”

“Not at all.”

“Liar,” Takao purred, reverting back to normal and sidling up to him.  “I can hear you at night, you know…”

Midorima blushed.

“Be that as it may,” he cleared his throat, “I will not corrupt you further.”

“You? Corrupt me?” Takao laughed out loud. “Shin-chan, I’m a six hundred-year-old tanuki.”

“Precisely.” Midorima adjusted his glasses.  “You are a respected spirit of this shrine and I…” He trailed off, walking through the front door and taking the dishes to the sink.

“Shin-chan?” Takao hovered around him as he washed the dishes.  “Your beloved spirit could really use some respecting right about now,” he sang.

“Takao.”

“Shin-chan.”

Midorima sighed.

“I’m a human.”

“I can see that.”

“An inexperienced son of a priest.”

“I’ve done my homework,” Takao replied smartly and placed his chin on one of Midorima’s shoulders.

“I won’t…” he licked his dry lips, turning off the water and resting his hands on the sink’s rim.  “I won’t be able to please you.”

Takao blinked and pulled back, taken by surprise.

“I saw you once with one of the men you’d seduced.”

The tanuki felt his face turn bright red.

“I didn’t mean to spy.” Midorima reached for the towel and dried his hands.  He gripped the terrycloth.  “Six hundred years is a long time…I…”

Takao put his hands over Midorima’s and found them to be trembling.

“I haven’t been with anyone since the day you invited me into your room.” He stepped closer and rested his cheek against the taller man’s chest.  “It’s laughable, but…” He bit his lip. “I’ve been saving myself.”

He heard Midorima’s heartbeat, thumping steadily and just a bit faster than normal.

“I thought you were avoiding it because of what I’ve done.” Takao swallowed. “What I am.” He pulled back and looked up at him. “A monster.”

“You’re not-”

“But to think you were worried about pleasing me…” He shook his head, laughing though he felt tears pricking the corner of his eyes.  “That’s my Shin-chan. Always putting others first.”

“Takao…” Midorima cupped the tanuki’s face and wiped his tears away with the pads of his thumbs.  “You’re a guardian, aren’t you?”

Takao gave a watery laugh and nodded.

“Then…if you grant me your permission,” he ducked down so their eyes were level, “May I worship you?”

Midorima was a gentle lover. Caring and attentive.  The best Takao had ever had.

Not that he’d tell him that.

He’d keep that little bit to himself for the time being.

“So, how was it?” Takao asked, rolling over to look at the man beside him.

“Just as amazing as I’d imagined.”

Takao felt his cheeks burn so bright, he thought they might burst into flames.  He hid his face in the pillow and, despite Midorima’s cajoling, he refused to come out until his lover had left to bathe.

His lover.

His human lover.

He smiled happily at the thought.  Now he could brag to the others – respectfully, of course – that he and Shin-chan had finally done it.  He couldn’t wait to see Aomine’s face.

But he never got the chance.

The next time they were all together was at Kuroko’s funeral.

He watched as Momoi and Kise cried in earnest, not bothering to hide their tears or quiet their sobs.  Akashi shook his head from his seat beside Murasakibara, who stared at the ground in front of his feet.

Aomine’s seat was empty, but Takao heard the mournful wails of a cat echoing through the venue.

He felt Midorima reach for his hand and grip it tightly.

Human lives were short.  Humans died so easily.  And happiness was fleeting.

Takao gripped back as he felt hot tears pour down his cheeks.

If happiness could be so easily taken away, he would have to hold onto his with all his might.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> I felt like I owed Takao and Midorima something for the [last fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6689077) I posted about them, lol.
> 
>  **Some notes:**  
>  **The title:** When you put a bake-danuki in front of your shop, it's as if it's saying, "Come in, don't be stingy!"  
>  **Tanuki:** Japanese Raccoon Dog. Check [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_raccoon_dog) out.  
>  **Saisenbako:** A shrine's box used to hold money being offered to the gods.  
>  **Takao's naming:** Taka means "tall" or "high" and the O can mean "tail" - though Taka can also mean "hawk."  
>  **Maki-chan:** Midorima's little sister. I named her that in another fic of mine. The character for "Ma" is the same as the "Shin" in Shintarou.


End file.
